Happy birthday. Did I ever tell you the story of my dad's 41st birthday dinner?

Mom made dinner and a cake, and we all sat down to eat dad's favorite meal. Now, dad has a reputation for being a stoic, taciturn guy behind a beard, but anyone who knows him knows that he's always got a twinkle in his eye and he might tell the occasional joke, but this time he was somber and just not himself. Mom finally asked him what he was moping about."I don't know. I'll be OK later. I guess I'm just not ready to turn 40. It feels like I'm getting old.""Well, honey . . . you turned 40 last year, remember? You're 41 now.""OH! Really? I mean I . . . " (obvious mental calculations proceed.) "Hey! I AM 41 now!"

He brightened considerably after that. 41 is just a much smaller psychological hill, I guess. So you've got that going for you. :)

Your body starts its downhill slide at 35. Consider yourself lucky to have lived in ignorant bliss for five years. You'll need reading glasses in 5-10, tri-focals in 20, cataract surgery in 25-30, aspirin for arthritis pains, and who knows what else. Thankfully, alcohol keeps your arteries from clogging! It's like a miracle!